4 Best Ways To Have A Better Night's Sleep

4 Best Ways To Have A Better Night's Sleep

Sleeping at night may sound straightforward, but you'd be surprised how many people around the world are having a tough time getting enough hours of sleep. Sleep is an essential part of maintaining your overall health, along with exercise and a healthy diet. However, it can be hard to achieve that good night's sleep due to several factors that you might be doing. Some factors include stress, working overtime, overeating at night, an uncomfortable sleeping environment, and more.

Frequent sleep deprivation is known to cause negative effects on your daily performance, emotional state, and brain function. It could also increase your chances of having severe health illnesses. If you want to optimise your overall health and prevent yourself from developing any sleeping disorders, you need to get enough sleep every night.

Fortunately, there are ways to help you achieve enough hours of sleep. Read on below for the four best ways to have a better night's sleep:

Follow A Consistent Sleeping Pattern
Start off by creating a sleeping pattern that would suit your lifestyle and your work schedule. Strive to go to bed at the same time every night, and wake up around the same time in the morning. This will take a few days before your body gets used to your sleep-wake schedule. Stick to this schedule, and you wouldn't have to change it again any time.

Your body's sleep-wake cycle is called the circadian rhythm. This is the 24-hour internal clock in your brain which regulates cycles of sleepiness and wakefulness by responding to the environment's light and dark changes. Your circadian rhythm becomes disrupted every time you deprive yourself of sleep. However, if you keep a healthy and consistent sleep-wake schedule, you'll feel more well-rested because your body is getting enough hours of sleep every single night.

By following your sleeping pattern consistently, it'll be way easier for you to sleep at night. Plus, you won't need an alarm clock to wake you up in the morning as your brain already knows the ideal time that your body needs to wake up.

Transform Your Bedroom Into A Sleep-Inducing Environment
Another critical factor that can affect the quality of your sleep is your bedroom. Make sure your bedroom is comfortable enough so that you can easily drift off to sleep. Some factors you must consider include:

Mattress and Pillows: Your mattress can make or break the quality of your sleep. Make sure the type of mattress you're using is not too firm on your back enough to cause back pains. There are various choices of mattress on sites like Best Mattress Australia where you can choose according to your preferences. Your pillow must also suit you to avoid neck pains in the morning.

Lighting, Temperature, and Noise: For a better sleeping experience, the ideal setting is a dark, cool, and quiet room. Ensure that your room lighting is not too bright, as that will only keep your brain awake and active. Most people also sleep better when their room temperature is slightly cool, as it means your room is adequately ventilated. You can even add house plants into your bedroom as they act as natural air humidifiers which help you sleep quickly and better. If ever your room is near a busy street, you can use earplugs to block out all the neighbourhood's noise.

Declutter Your Room: Even if your bedroom is well-prepared for sleeping, if it's a mess, it can still affect the quality of your sleep. As soon as your eyes can see that your bedroom is surrounded by clutter, your stress level will increase, making it even harder to focus on sleeping. Your mind will only end up wandering around the things surrounding you, and you'll soon develop a sleeping disorder. To avoid such a situation, always clean up your room, including making up your bed every morning when you wake up.

Start A Bedtime Routine
Nowadays, the only thing that most people do before they go to sleep is to scroll their screens and just wait for themselves to fall asleep. This habit will only make it harder for you to sleep as the blue light emitted from your screens will only trick your brain into thinking it's still daytime. To achieve a better night's sleep, you need to start a healthy bedtime routine.

Avoid using your screens or watching TV for at least 30 to 60 minutes before you go to bed so as not to stimulate your brain and reduce its production of melatonin. Instead, you can read a book, write in your journal, or do some yoga poses or meditation to help you relax and prepare your mind and body for sleeping. You can also take a warm shower before bedtime, as exposure to warm water will also help ease your tense muscles.

Instead of listening to the news on the radio, change it to some soothing music that can help lift up your mood and reduce your blood pressure. Any music will do as long it helps you quickly drift off to sleep.

Be Mindful Of Your Eating and Drinking Habits
Your eating habits also play a vital role in your sleep quality, especially when it's close to bedtime. As much as possible, avoid consuming heavy and lavish meals during the night. If you can, eat early in the evening. Moreover, avoid eating spicy food for dinner as that'll only cause heartburn and stomach trouble, making it more difficult to sleep.

It's also recommended that you avoid drinking alcohol before going to bed. It may help you unwind, but it can actually interfere with your sleep once its relaxing effect runs out. The same goes for caffeine. Caffeine is known to be a sleep-breaker as it will only cause you to stay awake until the early hours of the morning. Instead, only drink one serving of caffeine in the morning.

You can also replace caffeine with herbal teas or a warm glass of milk. Both can help you relax and even help you sleep better at night. Additionally, don't drink a lot of fluids in the evening.

Too many liquids will only result in more bathroom trips throughout the night, which will surely interrupt your sleep.

The Bottom Line
Sleep plays a primary role in your overall health. Thus, you must follow these tips consistently to ensure you get the best night's sleep that your body deserves. If your ultimate goal is to have optimal health, don't forget to include adequate sleep in your top priorities.